Arizonans feeling sting of out-of-pocket cost increases under Obamacare

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Arizona is among the states feeling the greatest pain from the nationwide trend of rising out-of-pocket healthcare costs.

A new analysis by Patient Daily (see map below) details a number of the 2015 average premium and deductible rate increases for ACA Silver Plans across different states. 

The average annual state premium and deductible increase for 2015 silver plans in the exchanges was $225. In Arizona, however, the average increase is $866.

“As many have predicted since 2010, Obamacare is fundamentally flawed in both concept and execution,” U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Arizona) told Arizona Business Daily in an interview published last month. “The exit of United Healthcare from the Obamacare exchanges further corroborates the inconvenient truth President Obama and his allies refuse to acknowledge: dictated government health care cannot beat free-market choices. It’s unbelievable that Democratic leaders like Sen. Bernie Sanders think that the solution to Obamacare’s failures is more government involvement in the health care industry.”

Consumers are preparing for the trend of rising healthcare costs to continue, as many states have already released their rate requests for 2017, which range from 8 percent in California to a whopping 57 percent in Texas. 

Although the finalized rate increases for the upcoming year won’t be approved until late summer or fall, one thing is clear: Americans, and Arizonans specifically, will likely face an increase in their out-of-pocket costs again in 2017 — a consideration they will likely bring with them to the polls. 

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